Massaging and cleansing device



April 18, 1939. 1.. Y. BOOHARIN MASSAGING AND CLEANSING DEVICE Filed Dec. 23, 1936 III INVENTOR.

L50 Y BOOHAR/N ATTORNEY.

Patented Apr. 18, 1939 PATENT OFFICE MASSAGING AND CLEANSING DEVICE Leo Y.

o! one-sixth to Boris Booharin, San Francisco, Calif., assignm- S. Herman. one-sixth to Charles M. Bandtell, one-sixth to Dan Leskovsky, one-sixth to B. E. Van Alstyne, and onesixth to Leo Herman Application December 23, 1936, Serial No. 117,355

5 Claims.

This invention relates to a massaging and bathing device, and has for its objects a device adapted for massaging the skin and muscles of a person and for cleansing the skin, and which device is constructed in a manner to enable a per son when using the same for massaging and bathing purposes to exercise the muscles of the body at the same time. Other objects of the invention are to provide a sanitary, readily cleansed, durable device of the character above mentioned which is cheap to manufacture and which is extremely simple.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the specification and drawing annexed hereto.

In the drawing. Fig. 1 is an elevational view of one form of the invention, partly in section.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the device of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an elevational view of a modified form of device, partly in section.

Fig. 4 is a plan View of the device of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is an elevational view of a slightly different form of device, partly in section.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of the device of Fig. 4.

Fig. 7 is an elevational view of a still further form of device, partly in section.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary elevational view of a form of another form of device.

The device of Figs. 1 and 2 comprises a soft, elastic rubber strip or belt I provided with handles 2 at opposite ends for gripping each by one of the hands of a person.

Intermediate the ends of the strip one of the sides is provided with short, spaced strips 3 of soft material, such as sponge rubber, which strips project outwardly of the side of the belt I and extend transversely of the length of the belt. Between said strips of sponge rubber are provided comb-like projections 4 of rubber that preferably slightly project outwardly at their outer ends of the outer surfaces of the sponge rubber strips adjacent thereto while their inner ends are secured to the belt adjacent thereto.

The opposite side of the belt is provided with a continuous covering 5 of sponge rubber. The covering 5 of sponge rubber and the row of strips 3 with the comb-like projections 4 therebetween may terminate at opposite ends short of the handles leaving a belt portion 6 adjacent each handle free of any coverings or attachments for stretchll'lg.

In Figs. 3 and 4 the comb-like projections are in the form of rows of hemispherical members 1 of relatively soft rubber, which likewise project outwardly of the sponge rubber strips 3', at their outer ends, and the opposite side of the belt I carries a row of transversely extending outwardly projecting strips of sponge rubber 8 with a relatively thin layer of sponge rubber 9 between the strips adjacent the belt. In this form the sponge rubber strips 8 are disposed directly opposite the members I, thereby providing a relatively firm backing for each row of the members I. The fiat sides of the members I, as indicated in Fig 3, are secured to the belt.

In Figs. 5 and 6 the rows of members 7 of Fig. 3 are replaced by pieces of cylindrical rubber tubing ill on the belt I and the opposite side of the belt is provided with a covering of sponge rubber 5' similar to the covering 5 of Fig. 1. Between the tubing ID are strips 3" of sponge rubber arranged similar to the strips 3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 shows a belt I of rubber with coverings II, I! on both sides thereof, each covering being similar to the covering 5 of Fig. 1.

In Fig. 8 is shown a form of device in which there are comb-like projections 4' between the strips l3 of sponge rubber, said projections terminating below the outer surface of the sponge, rubber strips, and the opposite side of the belt has the comb-like projections l4 projecting outwardly of the outer surface of the sponge rubber strips.

In the several figures from Fig. 1 to Fig. 6, inclusive, the comb-like projections 4, or the members 1, or the tubing l0, all form elements that project slightly outwardly of the outer surfaces of the rows of sponge rubber strips 3, 3', 3", but which elements are of a character to yield slightly under pressure against the body of a person so that the sponge rubber strips will engage the skin, while in Fig. 8 the projections 4' terminate at their outer ends slightly short of the plane of the outer surfaces of the sponge rubber strips.

In actual practice, the operator grasps in each hand one of the handles 2, which are the same in all of the forms shown, and are similarly numbered, and the intermediate portion carrying the sponge rubber strips and elements therebetween is drawn against the desired portion of the body, such as across the back. By alternately stretching the belt and releasing the stretch, the elements between the sponge rubber strips as well as the sponge rubber strips, move toward and away from each other and thereby massage and tend to knead the skin and muscles as well as cleansing the skin, the cleansing being principally done by the sponge rubber strips. By drawing the belt backward and forward over the skin 'a further vigorous massaging and simultaneous cleansing of the skin is accomplished. and when the device is drawn backward and forward across the back while the operator alternately stretches the belt and releases the stretch thereof, it will be seen that not only are the skin and the surface muscles massaged but other muscles are brought into play by the mere act of stretching the belt, which muscles are likewise massaged.

Where a very mild massage is desired, the plain coverings 5 of Fig. 1', 5 of Fig. 5, or II, l2 of Fig. 7, may be used against the skin in the manner above described, and a generally similar result occurs, although the principal result is a cleansing of the skin.

It is. of course, obvious that the comb-like members 4 of Fig. 1, or the members 1 of Fig. 3, or the tubes ID of Fig. 5, may be formed integrally with the belt mounting the same, or they may be formed separately and suitably secured thereto. Also, instead of tubes Ill (Fig. 5) these may be solid cylindrical members of relatively soft rubber, and in any event all of the elements 4, I or H] are flexible so as to preclude any injury to the skin and also so as to enable the sponge rubber strips therebetween to substantially engage the skin While the elements massage the skin and muscles.

The arrangement of alternate strips of sponge rubber with or without the more or less solid projecting elements positioned therebetween, has been found highly desirable for use on bathing and massaging devices other than the belt, such as rubber gloves, mits, and the like, hence it is understood that I do not wish to strictly limit the arrangement to a bolt. However, in most cases a relatively thin rubber base sheet, such as the belt, mounts the sponge rubber and projections.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. A device of the character described comprising a strip of elastic, relatively soft rubber provided with a row of spaced members of sponge rubber projecting outwardly of a side thereof, said strip being formed for manual grasping at opposite ends by the opposite hands of an operator in a manner for simultaneously forcing the spaced members against the body of the operator for back and forth movement against the skin to massage and cleanse the skin and for alternately increasing and decreasing the spacing between the sponge rubber members upon alternately stretching the strip longitudinally by the hands while moving the strip.

2. In a construction as defined in claim 1, resilient elements of relatively greater rigidity than that of the sponge rubber members secured to said strip in position between the adjacent members, of sponge rubber, said elements projecting outwardly of the side of the strip a sub stantial distance for engaging the skin of the operator at opposite sides of each of the sponge rubber elements whereby the cleansing of the skin by movement of said members thereover will be succeeded by a vigorous massaging of the skin by the elements.

3. A device of the character described comprising an elongated belt of sheet rubber provided on one side thereof with a strip of sponge rubber partially covering said side and firmly secured thereto, said belt being of a length to extend substantially across the body of a person transversely of the body, means at opposite ends of the belt for grasping by the opposite hands of a person for supporting the belt with the sponge rubber covering against the body of said person for movement of the belt longitudinally thereof whereby the sponge rubber covering will massage and cleanse the skin during such movement, said belt being relatively elastic for stretching by the person during said movement thereof to produce a massaging of the skin by the outer surface of the sponge rubber independently of the general directional movement of the belt across the skin.

4. A device of the character described comprising an elongated belt provided on one side thereof with a plurality of spaced rows of outwardly projecting resilient elements and sponge rubber mem bers secured on said belt at points between adjacent rows of said elements, said rows of elements extending substantially from edge to edge of the belt transversely of the length thereof, and said belt being formed at opposite ends for grasping of the ends by the opposite hands of a person for supporting the belt with the sponge rubber members and elements against the body of such person for movement of the belt longitudinally thereof whereby the elements and sponge rubber members respectively will massage and cleanse the skin during such movement, said belt being of elastic rubber for stretching by the person during said movement whereby the adjacent rows of elements will be caused to move .in a direction away from each other when the belt is stretched and during longitudinal movement of the belt.

5. In a construction as defined in claim 4, the outer surfaces of the sponge rubber members remote from the belt being disposed in a common plane substantially parallel with the plane of the belt and the elements terminating at their outer ends remote from the belt in a diiferent plane than that in which the outer surfaces of the sponge rubber members are disposed.

LEO Y. BOOHARIN. 

